


A Brief Moment

by bunivy



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Nicholas Scratch Has Nightmares, One Shot, Sabrina Helps Him Sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-19 04:06:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19349167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunivy/pseuds/bunivy
Summary: Ever since he's returned from Hell, Nicholas Scratch has been having nightmares. With help from Aunt Hilda, Sabrina unknowingly shows him a light and for a moment, Nicholas knows everything will be okay.





	A Brief Moment

**Author's Note:**

> Here’s a short fic. I’m not the best writer, but I hope it’s good enough to get the point across! This one takes place after Nick returns from Hell. It's a bit angsty, but not too much. Hope you like it!

Sabrina jolted awake as the bed shifted beneath her. Nick’s arm, which she assumed she’d been using as a pillow, was now on his chest, his fist clenched hard enough that the vein along his arm stood out. In the darkness of the room, lit up only barely by the lamp she’d left on in the corner, she could see his face. It was contorted into an expression of fear, but his eyes were still closed. He was mumbling something as body moved around.  

He’d only been back for a couple of weeks thus far and every morning since he’d shown up to breakfast with dark circles under his eyes and a sluggish body. He’d eaten very little, nearly falling asleep at the table various times. But he always reassured her that he was fine, even put on a smile whenever she asked him if he was okay.  

After countless lectures from her aunt Zelda on the importance of letting him rest, she’d finally ignored her and managed to sneak into the room they’d set up for him. She was desperate to see what was keeping him from getting enough sleep. He was hesitant in allowing her to share the bed with him, but she’d found her way beside him anyway. Before long, she’d fallen asleep against him. 

Now, awake and watching him thrash around in his sleep, she realized nightmares were what kept him awake.  

“Nick,” she whispered, reaching out to grasp his clenched fist. She shook him lightly and his eyes shot open. They met hers, saw the worry and concern etched across her features. Before she could say anything else, he was sitting up. His hands were on her then, shaking as they slid across her skin. He touched her face, her neck, shoulders, and eventually her hands. To Sabrina, it seemed as if he were examining her.  

“You’re okay?” he finally asked her. She seemed confused by his question, her fingers tangling with his. She tried to steady his shaking hands. 

“I should be asking  _you_  that,” she countered. “Nicholas, why didn’t you tell me you were having nightmares?” If she had known, she could have possibly helped him. But instead, he’d chosen to handle it himself, his body crumbling because of it. 

He didn’t make eye contact with her. “I’m fine,” he tried to assure her, “They’re just dreams.” To Sabrina, it sounded more like he was trying to comfort himself rather than reassure her. Her heart clenched.  

She pulled him back down to bed with her, her head pressing to his chest. His arms wrapped around her, holding her tighter than he had previously. His chest was sticky from sweat, his heart beat finally slowing down. The open window did nothing to cool the room down from the heatwave that had hit Greendale. 

“You went through a lot, Nick. I want to help you,” she whispered against his chest, brushing a few kisses on the skin there. “You have to let me.” 

Nick said nothing in return. He just held her, his thumb running patterns over a spot on her back. He kissed her head. 

“Sleep,” he told her. She didn’t and neither did he. The two of them laid in silence for the rest of the night. Nick not wanting to scare her with another night terror, and Sabrina wanting to be awake when it happened again.  

 

* * *

 

The next morning, they were seated at the table with what remained of the coven. Hilda’s large array of homecooked food covered every inch of the table, leaving room only for plates and silverware. While the number of witches and warlocks now residing in the Spellman mortuary was enough to cause some discomfort to all involved, Hilda was proud to see that her food was peace-treaty that everyone desperately needed. Even the weird sisters stayed amicable when it was time to eat.  

“I’ve got more pancakes in the kitchen, loves, eat up,” Hilda had said, motioning to the plate of still piping hot pancakes at the heart of the table. “Nicholas, dear...” She was looking at the warlock seated beside Sabrina, noticing that he hadn’t touched his food yet. He seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in. Sabrina looked on in concern. 

Nick gave Hilda a smile then, returning to normal and picking up his silverware. He was just about to take a bite of pancake when he caught Sabrina in the corner of his eye. She was looking at him with a face that only he could read. Her hand brushed his thigh under the table, landing on his knee and giving it squeeze. She was worried, he knew that. It was why he didn’t want to tell her in the first place.  

He shook his head at her lightly, knowing that she wanted to tell her aunts. She dropped her eyes onto her own plate then, feeling defeated. 

“Summer Solstice is almost here,” Agatha said from the other end of the table. And with that, for a moment, things shifted back to normal. 

 

* * *

 

Hilda found Sabrina seated in the living area, books sprawled around her in an effort to keep up with her studies. Being that she was pretty behind her mortal classmates, she felt that a summer study session was probably much needed. Sabrina looked up at her aunt when she entered. 

“Dearie,” Hilda started, setting a silver tray down on the table nearby. “Take this up to Nicholas, will you?” 

Sabrina looked on curiously at the cup of seemingly normal tea that sat in the center of the tray, a few sugar cubes placed delicately on the saucer below the cup. Her gaze then returned to her aunt, a look of questioning on her face. 

“To help him relax,” Hilda suggested, knowingly. She was well aware, given Nick’s appearance and manners, that he likely wasn’t resting as much as he should have been. “It’s a tea for dreamless sleep.”  

Sabrina smiled then, standing up to take the tray. She knew her aunts would have some way to help, if only she’d come to them sooner. Guilt plagued her. Why hadn’t she checked up on him earlier? Fought harder to allow him to let her in? Instead, Nicholas, as charming as ever, had tricked her into shifting her attention away from him.  

“Thank you, auntie,” she replied, taking the tea out of the room and up the stairs. She found the door that led to the guest room, which he currently occupied since her aunties didn’t allow him to stay in her room. It was slightly ajar, allowing her to push it open with her hip.  

Nick was lying against the headboard of the bed, a book in his hand. He sat up when he saw her, a smile on his face. “Hey, Spellman,” he greeted. “Done studying?” He’d left her to it, fearing that he’d probably be more a distraction than a help seeing as he wasn’t too keen on mortal studies. 

She just nodded, came over to his side of the bed and placed the tray down on the nightstand. She took a seat beside him then, leant over to place a sweet kiss on his lips. “Do you trust me?” she asked, eyes on his. 

He nodded. “With my life.” 

A small smile graced her lips and she couldn’t help but kiss him again. She picked up the teacup by the saucer, holding it out to him. “Drink,” she told him. He looked a bit confused, but took the cup anyway, disregarding the sugar cubes. He preferred his tea unsweetened, the only sweetness he’d needed sat beside him. 

Sabrina moved to sit on the other side of the bed, picking up his book as he sipped his tea. It was a book on demonology, she noted. One that had probably come from the academy. They talked about it briefly, before he eventually discarded the empty teacup to the nightstand again and joined her back on the bed. She propped herself up on the pillow, he rested his head on her chest, leaving a few kisses on her neck. Her fingers worked through his hair as she flipped the book open with her other hand, intending to skim through it. 

“What do you usually do for the Solstice?” she asked him, curiously, but she got no response. His breathing had slowed, indicating that he’d fallen asleep. When she glanced down, his eyes were shut. His face, peaceful. He only moved briefly to wrap an arm around her. 

Sabrina smiled to herself, her fingers skimming through his hair again. She would stay there for forever if he meant that he could be at peace. She picked up the book again, flipped to the first page and began reading, deciding that she might as well. 

 

* * *

 

Nick had fallen asleep without even realizing it. Only this time, the usual nightmares that terrorized him nightly didn't come. They were normally images of Sabrina in danger, him falling seconds short of saving her. Her, badly injured because of something that he’d done. Guilt always followed. Why couldn’t he save her? 

Then there were the ones that involved her taunting him with her mortal ex-boyfriend in tow. The two of them kissing, touching, doing things that he’d hoped he’d never be forced to witness. 

However, none of that happened this time. Instead, he found himself in front of a small home that he didn’t recognize, but it felt like Greendale. In the front yard, he heard laughing. A woman with white blonde hair called out to him, waving him over. He could recognize her anywhere. Sabrina. 

He moved quickly over to her, now finding her bent over, two small children with curly black hair hugging her.  

“We’re going to the aunties house for Summer Solstice,” she told them, their little frames shaking with excitement. He studied her face, youthful still, but different. More mature, more experienced. Her eyes met his, a smile on her face. She looked beautiful in her dress.  

She pointed at him then, ushering the small children toward him. “Go to daddy,” Sabrina told them. 

He nearly choked in response, his eyes glazing over. The small children jumped up in joy upon seeing him, their little legs scrambling to get to him quickly. He found his own body reacting, kneeling to meet them. Everything was different but felt familiar. Nick was happy. 

He heard a sweet voice whisper his name. 

Nick woke up to find himself still in bed, Sabrina eyeing him. Her thumb wiped at the spot under his eyes and he realized then that they were wet with tears. He looked around as he sat up, the window indicated that it was now night. He’d fallen asleep sometime during the day, he knew that much. 

“Are you alright?” Sabrina asked him, looking concerned. “Sorry, I wasn’t going to wake you but you...”  

“I had a dream,” Nick said in response. He saw her face fall. 

“Aunt Hilda said it was tea for dreamless sleep,” she said, feeling disappointed. She wondered what went wrong. His hands quickly reached up to hold her face, a smile gracing his own. 

He shook his head. “No,” he told her, dropping a kiss to her lips. “Not a nightmare, a  _dream_  – a good one.” He was radiating with joy.  

Sabrina realized then what he meant, her hands reaching up grasp his. “But you were crying,” she noted, running her thumbs over the back of his hands. 

“I was happy – really happy,” he told her. She pulled him until he collapsed on top of her, dropping kisses to her neck on the way down. “I love you.” 

Sabrina smiled, her heart feeling full. “I love you too.” Her legs hooked around his hips, letting him know that he wasn’t going anywhere. He had no complaints; he would happily stay. 

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Sabrina found herself in the greenhouse. Her fingers worked carefully to trim the delicate leaves of a plant, prepping it for propagation, as Hilda had instructed her to. 

“Was that really a tea for dreamless sleep?” Sabrina asked her aunt. “Or were you just tricking me?” 

Hilda kept her eyes focused on the succulent she was tending to. Her lips pulled up at the corners, enough for Sabrina to note that she was, in fact, tricked.  

Sabrina sighed. “Why didn’t you just tell me? What did you even give him?” she asked, putting down her clippers and looking at her aunt fully. “He trusted me, and I was giving him something that wasn’t even really what I thought it was.” 

Hilda put her own clippers down and turned to face her niece. She smiled in a way that made Sabrina’s worries melt away. Of course, her aunt was just trying to help. “It’s an old witch’s brew,” Hilda started. She named a couple of ingredients that went into it. “It’s meant to give you a glimpse of the future, just a brief one – and only something good. A moment in time where you’re really happy.” Hilda smiled at her. “I thought it would help him deal with the bad dreams if he had a good one. One with you.” 

“I thought if I told you, you’d pester him about what it was he saw,” Hilda  finished . “Which you shouldn’t do, Sabrina. Let him have his moment. It's likely very precious to him.”

It was true. Though he’d had yet another nightmare the previous night, Sabrina had told him to cling to the good dream he’d had earlier – though he refused to tell her what it was. The only thing he was willing to tell her was that it involved her. It seemed to work. He fell back asleep almost immediately and slept through the rest of the night without stirring. 

“Thank you, Aunt Hilda,” Sabrina finally replied, giving her aunt a big hug. Hilda continued to hold her, rubbing her back. Sabrina was still a bit confused. “How did you know, though? That it would be about me?” As much as she loved Nicholas, she knew that anything could happen. She would do her best to keep him with her, but she’d also once loved Harvey and thought the same. 

“Because, dearie,” Hilda started, hugging Sabrina close to her again, “I drank one myself, ages ago, when you weren’t well.” She recalled the days after Nick had been taken to Hell, when Sabrina herself had trouble sleeping and eating. “The brief moment that I got to see was of you also. Your wedding day, in fact. I was very happy, love. You and Nicholas were as well.”  

**Author's Note:**

> Ta-Da. A short one-shot for Nabrina. I haven’t written anything in a really long time. I tend to stick to visual art more, but I just really love this pairing. I couldn’t help but write something and this was on my mind for quite some time. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


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